Scary things in odd places

I scanned two articles like this one in the last few days, pretty typical half baked studies that essentially point out that fat kids eat too much and don’t play outside enough.

But this passage scared me.

The researchers said it was well-recognised that parents value care provided by grandparents and consider it to be the best alternative to full-time parent care.

They said the issue was about providing informal carers, such as grandparents, with better information and support around diet and exercise.

A recent announcement to provide grandparents with National Insurance credits for caring for grandchildren under the age of 13 years for at least 20 hours a week from 2011, “provides a potential opportunity for such health promotion”, they advised.

It should scare you, too. How long before the US government is telling you who can watch your kids and how they are allowed to do it, including what the children may be fed?

Who thought 5 years ago the government would tell us what kind of light bulbs we have to use?